Dear Academy Families,

As we approach the midway point of this school year, we are reminded of the many blessings that surround us every day. From the laughter of our students to the dedication of our teachers and the support of our families, it’s clear that we are truly blessed. No other way to look at it all! Even amidst the challenges that come with our daily journeys, we continue to move forward with faith, hope, and love because He is with us every step of the way. With each step—whether light and joyful or heavy and uncertain—we are given the grace of God to persevere and thrive.

This weekend, as we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, we are invited to reflect on Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River, a profound moment that marked the beginning of His public ministry. It reminds us of our own baptism and the sacred promise it represents: to live as children of God, spreading His light and love in the world. Just as God declared His love and favor upon His Son, we are reminded that we, too, are His beloved children, called to live our faith boldly and joyfully in everything we do.

This message is especially relevant to us as a Catholic school community. Our work here is not just about academics; it’s about forming young hearts and minds in the image of Christ. We strive to reflect His light in our classrooms, our relationships, and in the ways we serve one another. The Baptism of the Lord serves as a powerful reminder of the mission we share—to guide our students in their faith journeys and to be witnesses of God’s love in all that we do.

Now, onto a few important updates for next week…

Dr. Scharbach

All students in Kindergarten-8th grade will be taking the second round of the diagnostic test during the week of January 13th. Students will complete both the i-Ready Math Diagnostic and the Language Arts i-Ready Diagnostic. This will be the second time that the students are taking the diagnostic test, and we look forward to sharing their results and growth with you once we have completed the test for all students.

For those who are not sure i-Ready is an online program for reading and mathematics that will help your student’s teacher determine your student’s needs, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the school year. I-Ready allows your child’s teacher to meet your student exactly where they are and provides data to increase your student’s learning gains.

Learn more about i-Ready by watching this video!

How can parents help their child prepare for an iReady assessment?

Your child’s teacher administering the assessment uses pre-assessment instructions to explain the assessment to students. Parents need to encourage their children to try their best on the assessment. Since iReady is a general measure of a student's ability in mathematics, students perform best on the assessment in the same way they perform best in school—when they have had plenty of rest, attend school regularly, and have eaten.

Encourage your child to take each lesson and quiz question seriously. Emphasize “thinking before clicking,” because just clicking through will not be a productive use of their time nor reflect what your student actually knows. Please remind your child to read passages in their entirety, use paper and pencil to solve math problems, and use the tools that appear at the bottom of the screen in some lessons.

The Catholic Action Network (CAN), an arm of the New York State Catholic Conference, gives us all a larger voice in the halls of government. Through their email and social media alerts, can reaches tens of thousands of Catholics like you to provide educational updates on the important issues being debated and to provide you with the tools to simplify the process of contacting your elected officials.

"Lawmakers in 36 states have enacted various forms of assistance for tuition-paying families to help those families enroll their children in the most appropriate elementary or secondary school. New York is NOT one of those states. However, in the coming weeks, Congress will be in the unique position to help tuition-paying families across the country – including here in New York. We need your help in urging Congress to act and not squander this unique opportunity."

In the coming weeks, Congress and the President will be in a unique position to be able to extend “Educational Choice” to every state in the nation – an opportunity we must urge them not squander!

Please click the link below for more information.

Thank you!!!

St Francis de Sales Catholic Academy’s administration and staff are already looking ahead and making plans for next school year. In preparation for the start of 2025-2026, please take time now to complete your child’s re-enrollment for next year. This form is due on Friday, January 31st, and the $200 re-registration fee per student is due on Sunday, February 24th.

To Re-Register, please follow the steps below:

1) Please go to www.factsmgt.com

2) Select Parent Log In from the menu bar and FACTS Family Portal from the drop-down menu.

3) Type in your username and password. If you have forgotten your username or password, please click on the link provided.

4) After logging in, click on Apply/Enroll in the left menu.

5) Click on the Enrollment/Reenrollment link.

6) Our Online Enrollment system will open with a link to the enrollment packet. The online process should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Your information will be saved if you need to quit and come back later. All re-registration fees will be paid via the FACTS Tuition portal. All fees will be due on February 24, 2025. If you have your account set to automatic withdrawal the fees will come out of your account 2-3 business days before.

If you have any questions about the process, please contact Mrs. Kenny at 718-634-2775 or ckenny@stfrancisschoolbh.net.

Please note that all families that have a sibling (brother/sister) and filled out the intent form to register for the next school year will be receiving an email prior to 2/3/25 (if space allows) with a link to the registration portal for the 2025-2026 school year which officially opens on 2/7/25.

The time of year has come to submit your yearbook ads! All ads are due by Wednesday, February 12th. Ads may only be submitted as a JPEG file or a hard copy (paper submission). The yearbook platform does not support PDFs and Word Documents, therefore they cannot be accepted. We recommend using Canva to create your JPEG ad if you do not know how to do so, as this platform allows you to save your ad directly as a JPEG. Directions for using Canva are provided.

Please read the directions carefully (please see the document below), as there are specific dimensions for each ad size and specific information that needs to be included in the email submissions. Ads may be paid for using a check or Venmo. If choosing to pay via Venmo, please follow all directions carefully.

Please see the attached PDF with any family and friends who wish to submit a yearbook ad. If you have any questions please email yearbook@stfrancisschoolbh.net.

Thank you,

Danielle Farragher

Yearbook Moderator

We are excited to be hosting our dinner dance for Grade 8 in our school gym on Friday, June 6th, 2025. Eighth-grade families are invited to join us for our second Dinner Dance meeting on Tuesday, January 14th at 7 pm here at the academy. All those parents who signed up to volunteer at our last meeting will get a more detailed invitation this weekend.

Our school will be conducting a fund-raising candy sale during the month of January. We will be selling World's Finest Chocolate Products - truly delicious chocolates that have been sold for years by schools and organizations. This year we are hoping for All Families to assist with this sale in order to make it as successful as possible. If all 370 Families sell 1 box of chocolate, we will earn a profit of over $11,000.00. This year we are fundraising to help fund new shades in all classrooms and upgrading smartboards in all classrooms.

This week one of your children was given a box of chocolate to take home.

If you would like to request more than one box please also use the google form below or click here.

All Students of families selling a box of Chocolate will receive a dress down ticket to use on a day of their choice in February or March (Non Mass Day).

There may be times when the school must be closed, have a remote day, or have a delayed opening due to inclement weather or other emergencies.

Below, please find provisions established to maintain open lines of communication with St. Francis de Sales families:

• Once it has been determined that the school will be closed or have a delayed opening, faculty and staff will be notified. An email will be sent out alerting all families. (If you are currently not receiving weekly email communication from St. Francis, please get in touch with us electronically at ckenny@stfrancisschoolbh.net. in order to be placed on the distribution list.)

• The School will post its school closing status on the school’s website and social media accounts, www.stfrancisschoolbh.org

• The School will send out a text to all those families that have opted in to our text message system

Congratulations to our 8th grade on beginning to receive your High School decision letters! All Catholic schools in Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island will send their decision letters/emails during the week of January 13th. Schools in Manhattan will send their decision letters/emails during the week of January 20th. We are very proud of all of the accomplishments of our Class of 2025. If parents have any questions, feel free to get in touch with your child’s homeroom teacher, or Mr. Scharbach at admin@stfrancisschoolbh.net

This is a reminder for parishoners of Blessed Trinity that the class Mass (third grade) is scheduled for Sunday January 12th at St. Edmund's Church at 10:30am

Come and see our brand new online school store. We have some great items with our school name and Franny, our Mascot.

Choose your own designs! These are great items to wear on dress-down days, weekends, Blue and Gold Day, or just around the house.

Great brands (Nike, North Face, Under Armor, Puma, and more) and great quality. All orders are shipped directly to your home.

As we start the 2025 calendar year, it is time for us to prepare for the administration of the Spring 2025 New York State Education Department (NYSED) grade 4-8 assessments. Continuing this school year we will be conducting Computer-Based Testing during the upcoming Spring 2025 NYSED grade 4-8 assessments. Students will be using their school-issued Chromebooks to complete the assessments and may be participating in Math/ELA/Science simulation exercises in class during the statewide simulation period between January 21-23, 2025 to become more familiar with the testing platform. This will allow our students and staff to better understand the process and protocols necessary to successfully administer these assessments.

Good luck to many of our Saint Francis second graders who will be receiving first Penance in two weeks on Wednesday 1/22 at 6:30pm at St. Francis de Sales Parish. We will keep you all in our thoughts and prayers as you continue on your spiritual journey and prepare for receiving the Eucharist for the first time.

During the week of January 20th each family will be sent home with their oldest child a baby bottle. We are asking each family to return the bottle on Friday 1/24 with a small donation (loose change is fine) for the Bridge to Life Inc. This group helps thousands of women and newborn children who were experiencing financial hardship. All families that turn in a bottle can dress down on Friday 1/24.

2/7/25-2/14/25- 2024 Catholic Schools Week- A more detailed schedule will be included in next week’s update.

St. Francis de Sales Catholic Academy

Asst. Principal: Mrs. Maureen Hayes

Email: admin@stfrancisschoolbh.net
Website: https://stfrancisacademybh.org/
Location: 219 Beach 129 Street Belle Harbor, NY 11694
Phone: (718) 634-2775
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SFDSCA